Digital BW, The Print

I have been using VFA with the 2400 and would like to have something 
with less texture.  So yesterday I did some QTR ICC profiles and prints 
with three new papers:  Dourian (Red River), HPR and Arches Smooth.  (I 
had intended to also try the Hawk Mountain Condor BW, but they didn't 
get it to me on time.)

Because I am profiling the paper/ink/printer combination for each 
paper, the tonal scales are extremely close and all are an excellent 
match to the screen.  So the comparison seems mostly one between paper 
surface, color and Dmax (a function of the coating?).  Except for 
texture (the VFA is the roughest by far), this is such a close call 
that it somes down to taste.  For their slightly cooler ink tone on the 
paper and their whiter, smoother surface (compared to VFA), I prefer 
the HPR/R.R. Dourian papers, the latter two appearing to be identical.  
(Printing out the curve tags in the generated profiles and overlaying 
them, they are virtually identical.)  The VFA, on tonal qualities and, 
dare I say it, "luminance" would be my pick were it not for the 
texture.  So, the Dourian, which is slightly cheaper than the HPR and 
double-sided, is probably my choice.

The very expensive Arches paper was a disappointment on two counts.  
The first is that the edges were damaged, with a deep depression 
running parallel to the edge on two sides of every sheet in the box.  
The second, more important, problem is that I was unable to properly 
profile the paper because of the way the blacks sit on the surface of 
the coating.  The deepest black patches of the 51 step target remained 
visibly wet for a minute or two after ejection from the printer--
literally pooled on the paper.  After trying different paper types, as 
well as a 15% ink reduction in the Epson driver, I was unable to 
address the problem.  The result of this problem is that there are 
reversals at the black end of the scale that QTR Create ICC could not 
handle.  For example, the 92, 94, 96, 98 and 100 % blacks read 19.39, 
`19.06, 18.70, 18.95 and 19.39.  (Below 90% the data looks linear.)
Seeing this data (I guess), QTR Create ICC introduces a *full scale* 
spike into the shadow end of the curve running from LAB L zero up to 
about 8.  The result is that this prints out almost pure black.  The 
blacks also appear mottled (like EEM) when dry.  Oddly, the Soft Proof 
view using the same profile and BPC checked looks normal.  Perhaps 
someone has an explanation.

Printing to a Gamma 2.2 space, the Arches produced a very nice, 
extremely elegant print.  The paper is quite warm, but it has a 
beautiful hand and absolutely smooth, creamy surface.  The paper has a 
glow that I have not seen in another paper, making all the others seem 
a bit harsh.  Very fine detail is a tiny bit lower than the other 
papers though.  Dot gain anyone?  The contrast is also a bit low and 
the deep blacks appear a bit weak and uneven.  That all said, it looks 
more like a silver gelatin print than any of the other papers--the 
tonal smoothness is impeccable and leaves the other papers looking 
grainy, as if there were visible ink dots.  With profiling and ink 
control some of these weaknesses might be addressed.  On cost, buying 
from Inkjet Goodies (a very reliable outfit), the Arches is only about 
$0.30 more than the HPR (per 13 x 19 sheet) and $0.50 than the Dourian.

Walt